Folding leg table with actuator mechanism



Dec. 5, 1950 H. A. MITCHELL 2,533,173

FOLDING LEG TABLE WITH ACTUATOR MECHANISM Filed March 26, 194'? INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE FOLDING LEG TABLE WITHACTUATOR MECHANISM Harry A. Mitchell, Sycamore, 111., assignor ofonehalf to Einer W. Dahlgren, Rockford, Ill.

Application March 26, 1947, Serial No. 737,229

1 Claim.

This. invention relates to what is known as folding-leg tables and hasmore particular reference to such tables designed to be used as a cardtable, 'a game table, and the like.

One'of the objects of the invention is to provide an improvedfolding-leg table characterized by its novel operating means whereby allthe legs may be simultaneously swung to a folded or an unfolded positionby quick and easy operation of a hand lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide a table of the characterdescribed in which the hand lever is associated with leg-connected linksand a mounting disk in such manner as to lock the legs both in thefolded and the unfolded positions upon being moved to such positions byoperation of the handle.

Another object is to provide an improved folding leg table with actuatormechanism designed to give rigidity and to operate the legs in pairsfrom one position to another, and to accomplish this-with a constructionwhich may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

Another object is to provide a folding-leg table of the characterdescribed having improved means for adjustment of one set of legs withrespect to the other to efiect the desired operating and lockingrelation of the legs.

Another object is to provide an improved fold-' ing leg table withactuator mechanism metal parts for mounting and operating the legs on a;table top whereby the metal parts as a hard ware unit may be sold tomanufacturers who make the table top and legs, for quick and easyembodiment in a complete table structure.

The invention will .be better understood by reference to the followingdescription when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which 4 Figure 1 is a view looking at the bottom side of afolding-leg table embodying my invention, showing the legs locked in thefolded position;

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the legs locked in the unfoldedposition;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of Figure 1 showing a legmounting and the adjust ment connection abovementioned;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the section line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hand lever andconnecting rod mounting shown in Figure 1; I

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the section line 6-6 of Figure 5;and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the leg mounting shown inFigure 3.

The table top may be of any suitable construction, preferably having atop H and marginal depending apron portions l2. Usually the table top isof wood and the apron corners are reinforced in part by the legmountings. Two of the legs |3-l4 are connected as a unit by means of across-bar H. The other two legs I5-i5 are similarly connected by across-bar l8. Preferably each cross-bar is in the form of a metal tubewelded at each end to an attachment plate 19 which has fiat portions 2!and 22 in angular relation seating against adjoining sides of theadjacent leg and fixedly secured thereto by suitable screws 23. The topend portion 24 of each leg fits between opposed flat members 25--26 of abracket 2'! and is pivotally attached thereto by a bolt 28. Suitablescrews 29 secure each bracket 2'! to the inner side of an apron portionl2. As shown in Figure 1, one bracket 21 of each pair is seated in acorner firmly against the adjoining apron portions so as to brace thecorner. The bracket 2? at the opposite end of each such pair is spacedinwardly from theadjoining angular apron to allow space for theadjoining leg of the other pair. Angle brackets 3f are secured bysuitable screws in the open corners of the apron. portions to strengthenthese corners. The foregoing gives a strong and substantial mounting forthe pairs of legs, at low cost, Well adapted for the raising andlowering operations.

The leg operating means comprises a hand lever 32 fixed in a radialrelation to a metal disk 33 which turn is pivoted at its center by abolt St to a metal strap 35, and opposed links 36 and 3'! pivotallyconnected at their inner to the disk 33 diametrically thereon at points38 and 59, respectively, and pivotally connected at their outer ends toarms 4| and 52-2; which turn are welded to the cross-bars i8 and El:respectively. The strap 35 which seatsagainst the underside of the tabletop as shown in Figure 6, extends entirely across. said underside andupimrned ends which are fixed by screws 44 to opposite apron portions:as shown in Figure 4. This strap 35 establishes a fixed base connectionbetween opposite sides of the table top and also a solid base for themetal disk mounting. The arms 42 may be stamped metal welded to thecross-bars. At least one of the links such as 36 has an adjustableconnecting member 43 threaded into its outer end and suitably connectedto the arm 42 as by having its end 44' turned laterally andpassedthrough an opening in said member. A cotter pin 45 through the end44' retains it against displacement and washers 46 aid in maintainingthe parts in operative relation. A stop member 41 fixed to the disk 33and projectin above the disk is arranged to engage against an edge ofthe strap 35, as shown in Figure 6, to releasably lock the parts withthe legs in the folded position shown in Figure 1. The operating partsare arranged so that by sufficient pressure on the hand lever 32 in aclockwise direction in the Figure 1 position, the stop member 41 will bedisplaced by spring of the disk and strap 35 until said member is disengaged from its locking position and. permits movement of the handlever to the unfolded or extended position shown in Figure 2. Thislowers the legs to the unfolded or upright supporting position and movesthe ends 38 and 39 to a past center locking position. In the finalmovement to this locking position the links 36-41 put the operated partsunder compressive stress, yieldingly forcing the legs against the endplate 2'? of the supporting brackets when the legs reach the fullylowered position. This produces a snap action when the ends 38-39 movepast center, which action is effective in locking the legs in thelowered position. By sufficient pressure on the hand lever in theopposite direction the links 36--3'l are released from said lockedposition and upon continued movement of the hand lever the legs will beswung to the raised position and locked in such position by engagementof the member 41 against the remote edge of the strap 35. It will beobserved that the projection 41 is located near the periphery of thedisk and that when the hand lever 32 is moved in a counterclockwisedirection to swing the le units to the' folded position as described,the projection 4'! will be forced into engagement with the strap 35which normally lies in the plane of the projection. As seen in Figure 6the projection 41 is beveled on opposite sides so as to present opposedcamlike faces, with the result that by continued pressure on the handle32 in said counterclockwise direction the projection 4'5 will be forcedto ride under the strap 35 against the yielding resistance of the diskand the strap. When the projection reaches the far side of the strap itwill engage in somewhat of a snap action over the edge of the strap.This action occurs when the leg units are swung to the folded positionand this engagement of the projection 41 with the edge of the straplocks the leg units in such folded position.

- It is believed that the foregoing conveys a clear understanding of theobjects prefaced above, particularly with respect to the simplicity ofthe parts and the ease and convenience with which the hand lever may beoperated to move the legs from one position to another and to lock thelegs in each such position. The construction of the metal parts is suchas to permit of manufacture at a comparatively low cost,

considering the functions for which they are designed. Also the metalparts are such as to permit of selling them as a hardware unit, tofurniture manufacturers who make the table proper.

While I have illustrated in the drawings a preferred embodiment, itshould be understood that changes may be made in details of constructionwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A folding-leg table comprising a table top, legs at opposite sides ofthe table mounted on the underside of the table top to swing as a unitbetween folded and unfolded positions, a metal strap extending acrossthe table at the under side thereof and fixed to the table, a diskmember mounted on the under side of said strap centrally thereof torotate about a center axis, a hand lever fixed to the disk member, linkmembers each pivotally connected at one end to the disk member at a sidethereof diametrically opposite from the other, means pivotallyconnecting the opposite end of each link member to a leg unit at oneside of the table and in a manner to swing such legs between saidpositions upon rotative movement of the disk member in oppositedirections by operation of the handle, said link members and connectingmeans being arranged to releasably lock the legs in the unfoldedposition when the disk member is operated to carry the pivotallyconnected ends of the link members beyond a dead-center relation, and acam face projection on the top side of the disk arranged to engage thestrap and be displaced with respect thereto during the final movement ofthe disk member when it is operated to move the leg units to the foldedposition and to yieldingly engage an edge of the strap when the legunits have been moved to said folded position whereby to yieldingly lockthe leg units in such position.

HARRY A. MITCHELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 255,369 Whitaker Mar. 21, 18821,240,962 Frank Sept. 25, 1917 1,451,846 Robinson Apr. 17, 19231,534,470 Smith Apr. 21, 1925 1,571,807 Schmitt Feb. 2, 1926 1,909,905Simmons May 16, 1933 1,943,563 Stoner et al Jan. 16, 1934 2,024,431Corduan Dec. 17, 1935 2,122,846 Senft July 5, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 445,726 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1936

